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Could not agree more. Much of the tried-and-true process of development, leading to fundraising, can now be effectively accomplished via social media.

It is most decidely a whole new paradigm. It’s not the only paradigm, but it’s BIG.

We’re wired to connect with one another, and that’s what social media makes so easy. It’s the very meaning of “philanthropy”, which translates as “love of humankind”. Love, of course, is an intense feeling that arises out of a sense of kinship or personal ties. So, when you think about it this way, social media — Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin,…. on and on…. is really about philanthropy. I may be going out on a limb here, but it certainly explains why this phenomenon has become more popular than the oft-quoted “sliced bread”. We cannot live by bread alone. We require human connection and community.

You titled this “The inequality of opportunity and you quoted the idiom of “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” (at least that’s how I learned it), and you bemoaned this as injust and unfair. You then went on to laud the use of Social Networking which is a tool that actually evens out the competitive workspace for those who use it. I agree with you. I was actually a bit shocked at Avrum Lapin’s decisive and derisive nod against social networking. I think that the trick here is that many of us have yet to learn how to harness the power of social networking in the most effective manner. This is still a learning curve we are climbing.

There was one other issue I caught, only slightly related to this. This mini-conference focused solely on the constituency of American Jews donating (or not) to Israel focused organizations that have a presence in the US, notably “American Friends” organizations. However, there is a constituency that I think we are losing: English Speaking Olim, no, let me rephrase that: Wealthy English Speaking Olim. They are here, in Israel. But for most of them, their money is still in the US. But I am not sure efforts to mine the gold of US donors is inclusive of this group. I would venture to suggest that “American Friends” can, in some cases, consider creating a presence amongst the Olim that reside in Israel. Perhaps called “Olim Friends”…

Thank you for your comments.
Were an American Friends of org in Israel to solicit donations from olim whose money is still in the US, that would appear to the IRS as if it were included within the figures presented.
Although it is possible to argue that Social Media is an equaliser, and 9 times out of 10 I would be the proponent, in this case I am going to claim that it merely serves to skew the picture in another way.
Success in the use of social, indeed any, media will depend upon three factors: The subject, the investment and the messenger.
The best topic in the world will die in the hands of a person without social skills, that is a given, but the other two combinations do not depend upon us, the social media minded.
Social media does not help a topic that is inherently taboo or un-sexy. It may not hinder, it may even allow a little more exposure, but people will shy away from some issues no mater how you try to serve them up. This is not a weakness of the media, it is a sociological fact, and these topics should end up as those funded by governments, as they are ultimately unable to raise funds any other way.
The holy trinity that drives me nuts is that of the able and willing communicator to promote the sexy cause, but without the investment of time and money on the part of the organisation to facilitate an adequate campaign. This is nothing more that ignorance, and the one who will pay the price, besides those who will not receive the assistance they need, is the fundraiser, who will be seen as the one who did not succeed – that is unjust.

I believe American nonprofits may need to tread carefully if soliciting donations in a foreign country – even if from American citizens; especially if they are involved in advocacy. Competent US legal counsel should be consulted.

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